Wonka (film)

Wonka (film)
Wonka is a 2023 musical fantasy film directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby. It tells the origin story of the titular Willy Wonka, a character in Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, featuring his early days as an eccentric chocolatier. The film stars Timothée Chalamet in the title role, along with newcomer Calah Lane and an ensemble cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.
Development began after Warner Bros. Pictures, which previously released its own adaptation of the novel in 2005, acquired the rights to the titular character in October 2016 and revealed the film would serve as an origin story for Wonka. In May 2021, Chalamet was confirmed to be playing Wonka and the supporting cast were announced in September of that year. Principal photography began in the United Kingdom in September 2021. Filming took place in Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Watford, as well as Lyme Regis, Bath, St Albans and at the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park, London. Scenes were shot in Oxford in December and February. The original songs for the film were contributed by Neil Hannon, while its original score was provided by Joby Talbot.
Wonka had a special screening at ShowEast on 24 October 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 8 December 2023, and in the United States on 15 December 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Premise
The story of how Willy Wonka went from a young adult selling chocolate in a small candy store to an eccentric genius known all over the world.
Cast
Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka, an eccentric chocolatier. According to Chalamet, he was Paul King's first and only choice to pick for the role after seeing his high school YouTube performances online that proved his vocal and dancing skills. Before Chalamet was cast, Tom Holland, Donald Glover, Ryan Gosling, and Ezra Miller were in consideration to portray the titular character.
Calah Lane as Noodle
Keegan-Michael Key as the Chief-of-Police
Paterson Joseph as Arthur Slugworth
Matt Lucas as Prodnose
Mathew Baynton as Ficklegruber
Sally Hawkins as Willy Wonka's mother
Rowan Atkinson as Father Julius
Jim Carter as Abacus Crunch
Tom Davis as Bleacher
Olivia Colman as Mrs. Scrubbit
Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa
Natasha Rothwell as Piper Benz
Rich Fulcher as Larry Chucklesworth
Rakhee Thakrar as Lottie Bell
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Simon Farnaby
Colin O'Brien
Ellie White
Murray McArthur
Tracy Ifeachor
Isy Suttie
Production
In October 2016, Warner Bros. Pictures acquired the rights to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) character Willy Wonka created by Roald Dahl, with a film in development from producers David Heyman and Michael Siegel. In February 2018, it was announced Paul King was in negotiations to direct. That same year, it was reported the studio's shortlist of actors to star as Willy Wonka included Donald Glover, Ryan Gosling, and Ezra Miller, and it was revealed the film would serve as a prequel to the events of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
In January 2021, it was confirmed King would direct the film, now titled Wonka. In May, Timothée Chalamet was cast in the title role and it was announced the film would include several musical numbers. He was the director's only and first pick for the role, stating he offered the actor the part with no audition after seeing his high school YouTube performances online that proved his vocal and dancing skills. Chalamet was paid $9 million for his involvement. It was also revealed the film would be using a screenplay co-written by his Paddington 2 (2017) collaborator Simon Farnaby; Jeff Nathanson, Simon Rich, and Simon Stephenson also provided additional literary material. Tom Holland had also been a frontrunner for the role before Chalamet was cast. In September 2021, it was announced Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, and Jim Carter were among the newest additions to the cast, with Farnaby also set for a role.
Principal photography began in the United Kingdom in September 2021, with Seamus McGarvey set as cinematographer, Nathan Crowley as production designer, Mark Everson as film editor, and Lindy Hemming as costume designer. Filming took place in Lyme Regis and Bath, as well as at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Watford. Filming also occurred at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, London. By December, McGarvey exited as cinematographer with Chung Chung-hoon replacing him. Scenes were shot in Oxford in December and February.
Music
Neil Hannon, lead singer of the band The Divine Comedy, contributes original songs for the film. The musical score was composed by Joby Talbot.
Marketing
The marketing campaign from Warner Bros. Pictures for Wonka began on October 10, 2021 when Chalamet shared a photograph of himself in costume as Willy Wonka. The image was posted on Chalamet's Instagram with the caption "The suspense is terrible, I hope it will last," a reference to the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder as the title character, which itself is a quote from the 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The Guardian noted that the image was met with mixed reception online.
On April 26, 2022, footage of Chalamet as Willy Wonka was shared during Warner Bros. Pictures' presentation at CinemaCon. It also featured a rendition of the song "Pure Imagination" from the 1971 film. Deadline described the trailer: "Think Fantastic Beasts in regards to period (early 20th century), but so much more fun". The following year at the convention, Warner Bros. screened a teaser trailer for Wonka, which also saw a first-look at Grant as an Oompa Loompa, which caused criticism from actors with dwarfism, including Jason Acuña, who remarked, "So I guess Hugh Grant, you’re now identifying as a little person". IndieWire praised Chalamet's transformation as Wonka remarking: "like the chocolate he concocts in this first trailer, it will make you fly". The trailer was released to the public on July 11, 2023 alongside a teaser poster.
Release
Wonka is scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2023, followed by the United States a week later, on December 15, 2023, in both conventional theaters and in Dolby Cinema and IMAX. It was originally set for March 17, 2023.
References
External links
2023 fantasy films
2023 films
2020s musical films
2020s children's fantasy films
2020s musical fantasy films
American musical fantasy films
British musical fantasy films
Films about chocolate
Films based on British novels
Films based on children's books
Films based on works by Roald Dahl
Films directed by Paul King (director)
Films produced by David Heyman
Films shot at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden
Films shot in Dorset
Films shot in London
Films shot in Oxfordshire
Films shot in Somerset
Heyday Films films
Warner Bros. films
Willy Wonka
2020s English-language films
2020s American films
2020s British films
American prequel films
British prequel films
Casting controversies in film